[h=1]98YR OLD FORMER NANNY OF LEE FAMILY SHARES AMAZING PHOTOS AND MEMORIES[/h]
Post date:
25 Mar 2015 - 9:59pm
This is a translated version of 98岁李光耀家中国前保姆珍藏的李家珍贵老照片, courtesy of TRS.
A 98 year old lady living in Shun De Foshan, China, by the name of Mdm Ouyang Huan Yan, was a nanny with the Lee family for 40 years. On hearing the news of Lee Kuan Yew's demise from reporters who contacted her for an interview, she said "I hope the first and second young masters (Lee Hsien Loong and Lee Hsien Yang) are in good health and not be too upset". Having worked for the Lee family for 40 years, she has watched Lee Kuan Yew grown from a young lawyer to become the Prime Minister, and also took care of his 3 children.
Ouyang Huan Yan left China for Singapore with her two elder sisters at the age of 14, and have first worked for Tan Kah Kee's family then for Lee Kuan Yew's family. At that time, Lee Kuan Yew was still studying in England and came back only a year after she started working in the Lee family. "My father died young and my mother has to take care of 6 children, so my sisters and I have to work in Singapore."
At that time, the Lee family have over ten different servants, like bodyguards, cook, runners and some gardeners and cleaners. Before Lee Wei Ling was born, Ouyang Huan Yan took care of the grocery and laundry. "I took care of Lee Wei Ling and I am very familiar with the Lee family". Her job then was to send and take the Lee children from and to school, clean up the house and wash the laundry. Among the 3 Lee siblings, Ouyang Huan Yan was closest to Lee Wei Ling. She also took care of Lee Hsien Loong from his first walk to the time he went to England.
Ouyang Huan Yan felt her life was not difficult and she was earning a good income then at $5 and $6 a month. "At the time, 3 cents can buy a kilogram of pork, 2 cents can get you a big bowl of wanton, and everyone needs just about $3 for a living". She sent her remaining savings back to her China every festive season.
In 1986, Ouyang Yan Huan and her sister Yan Song returned to China for visits. Lee Kuan Yew's wife Kwa Geok Choo kept insisting her stayed. "I wanted to stay in China for a while, or go to Macau and Hongkong to see where is better for living. Who knows when I went back, my arthritis went away and hence I just stayed in China to retire."
In 2005, Lee Wei Ling, then the director of SGH, sent the Lee family photo with the back written "You were a beautiful memory in our growing up, I like to take this chance sand say 'Thank You!' "
In July 2014, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong sent a Singaporean ambassador based in China, to deliver a box of bird's nest to Ouyang Huan Yan. The ambassador said that the Prime Minister missed her and he had to take a photo of her for the Prime Minister.
Although Ouyang Huan Yan is 7 years older than Lee Kuan Yew, she just called him "Master". Lee Kuan Yew was humble and friendly to the servants. She remembered that when Lee Kuan Yew had political meetings in the evening and had to wait till 9pm for dinner, he simply instructed the servants to have their dinner at 6pm, and there was no restriction what they could buy to eat.
Acoording to Mdm Ouyang, the Lee children were very obedient and courteous. The Lee family have very strict discipline and made sure the children were respectful, which gave Mdm Ouyang a lot of assurance. In her opinion, the Lee family is very disciplined, and the children had to get their parents' permission to buy anything, and they were thrifty.
Mdm Ouyang then said "I'm sorry, due to my age, my eyesight and hearing is not as good as before. I hope not to have anymore interviews like this, as such, my contact with the Lee family has also minimized."
Source: Weixin.qq.com
Post date:
25 Mar 2015 - 9:59pm
This is a translated version of 98岁李光耀家中国前保姆珍藏的李家珍贵老照片, courtesy of TRS.
A 98 year old lady living in Shun De Foshan, China, by the name of Mdm Ouyang Huan Yan, was a nanny with the Lee family for 40 years. On hearing the news of Lee Kuan Yew's demise from reporters who contacted her for an interview, she said "I hope the first and second young masters (Lee Hsien Loong and Lee Hsien Yang) are in good health and not be too upset". Having worked for the Lee family for 40 years, she has watched Lee Kuan Yew grown from a young lawyer to become the Prime Minister, and also took care of his 3 children.
Ouyang Huan Yan left China for Singapore with her two elder sisters at the age of 14, and have first worked for Tan Kah Kee's family then for Lee Kuan Yew's family. At that time, Lee Kuan Yew was still studying in England and came back only a year after she started working in the Lee family. "My father died young and my mother has to take care of 6 children, so my sisters and I have to work in Singapore."
At that time, the Lee family have over ten different servants, like bodyguards, cook, runners and some gardeners and cleaners. Before Lee Wei Ling was born, Ouyang Huan Yan took care of the grocery and laundry. "I took care of Lee Wei Ling and I am very familiar with the Lee family". Her job then was to send and take the Lee children from and to school, clean up the house and wash the laundry. Among the 3 Lee siblings, Ouyang Huan Yan was closest to Lee Wei Ling. She also took care of Lee Hsien Loong from his first walk to the time he went to England.
Ouyang Huan Yan felt her life was not difficult and she was earning a good income then at $5 and $6 a month. "At the time, 3 cents can buy a kilogram of pork, 2 cents can get you a big bowl of wanton, and everyone needs just about $3 for a living". She sent her remaining savings back to her China every festive season.
In 1986, Ouyang Yan Huan and her sister Yan Song returned to China for visits. Lee Kuan Yew's wife Kwa Geok Choo kept insisting her stayed. "I wanted to stay in China for a while, or go to Macau and Hongkong to see where is better for living. Who knows when I went back, my arthritis went away and hence I just stayed in China to retire."
In 2005, Lee Wei Ling, then the director of SGH, sent the Lee family photo with the back written "You were a beautiful memory in our growing up, I like to take this chance sand say 'Thank You!' "
In July 2014, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong sent a Singaporean ambassador based in China, to deliver a box of bird's nest to Ouyang Huan Yan. The ambassador said that the Prime Minister missed her and he had to take a photo of her for the Prime Minister.
Although Ouyang Huan Yan is 7 years older than Lee Kuan Yew, she just called him "Master". Lee Kuan Yew was humble and friendly to the servants. She remembered that when Lee Kuan Yew had political meetings in the evening and had to wait till 9pm for dinner, he simply instructed the servants to have their dinner at 6pm, and there was no restriction what they could buy to eat.
Acoording to Mdm Ouyang, the Lee children were very obedient and courteous. The Lee family have very strict discipline and made sure the children were respectful, which gave Mdm Ouyang a lot of assurance. In her opinion, the Lee family is very disciplined, and the children had to get their parents' permission to buy anything, and they were thrifty.
Mdm Ouyang then said "I'm sorry, due to my age, my eyesight and hearing is not as good as before. I hope not to have anymore interviews like this, as such, my contact with the Lee family has also minimized."
Source: Weixin.qq.com
